What I Think About When I Think About Art

Art Practice*

In my other life, I’m a professional organizer and time management coach. I encourage my clients to develop habits to streamline and simplify their work. The ones most resistant to any kind of routine are the ones who fear their creativity will be squashed like a bug.

They don’t believe the muse will visit them unless all the paints are out, waiting. But materials alone don’t inspire the muse to come. She wants your mental engagement. That’s you saying, I’m here and ready to work. Props do come in handy to prompt the mind to fall into that groove. The special chairs and coffee mugs and pens that writers use, for example, are ways of preparing their minds for work at 10 am each day.

I recently discovered Daily Routines, a blog devoted to “how writers, artists, and other interesting people organize their days.” Moral of the story: habits and routines can make anything you do more productive, including art.